CONTENT WARNING
Materials in the Library of Virginia’s collections contain historical terms, phrases, and images that are offensive to modern readers. These include demeaning and dehumanizing references to race, ethnicity, and nationality; enslaved or free status; physical and mental ability; and gender and sexual orientation.
Context
Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 to protect people with disabilities from discrimination. In 1999 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Olmstead v. L.C. that the ADA prohibits unnecessary segregation of mentally ill or differently-abled people into institutions and denying them the ability to fully participate in their communities. The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice began an effort in 2009 to enforce the ruling, and identified Virginia as one of the states that did not adequately comply with the ruling. In 2012, Virginia state officials finalized a settlement agreement with the Justice Department to better support differently-abled Virginians. As part of the settlement, Virginia officials agreed to advance the national Employment First program to expand employment opportunities for differently-abled people in their communities. The General Assembly passed Senate Resolution 127 establishing the program and directing state agencies to assist differently-abled people who received public funding with finding meaningful employment with “competitive wages and benefits.” The goal was to reduce the high number of unemployed people with disabilities.
This document was signed by Governor Robert F. McDonnell in November 2012. Executive Order Number 55, Supporting Virginians with Disabilities in the Commonwealth's Workforce; Importance of Employment for Virginians with Disabilities mandated increased cooperation between various state agencies and potential employers of differently-abled Virginians. He called on additional agencies to support non-vocational as well as vocational programs. McDonnell's order further directed agencies to work closely with the Department of Veterans Services to develop and support additional employers committed to hiring veterans with disabilities. He also mandated that state agencies make regular reports on compliance, and that they make these reports available to the public.
Virginia's state government worked to fulfill the settlement agreements, but a decade later Axios reported a ten percent unemployment rate among differently-abled citizens, which excluded the eight in ten who were unemployed and not actively seeking a job. Those employed tended to be concentrated in low-wage jobs like clerical and janitorial services, and their income was significantly lower than others in the workforce.
Citation: Executive Order 55 (2012) Supporting Virginians with Disabilities in the Commonwealth's Workforce; Importance of Employment for Virginians with Disabilities, Executive Orders Digital Collection, Governor Robert F. McDonnell (2010-2014), Library of Virginia.
Read Senate Joint Resolution No. 127 in Virginia's Legislative Information System.
This document was signed by Governor Robert F. McDonnell in November 2012. Executive Order Number 55, Supporting Virginians with Disabilities in the Commonwealth's Workforce; Importance of Employment for Virginians with Disabilities mandated increased cooperation between various state agencies and potential employers of differently-abled Virginians. He called on additional agencies to support non-vocational as well as vocational programs. McDonnell's order further directed agencies to work closely with the Department of Veterans Services to develop and support additional employers committed to hiring veterans with disabilities. He also mandated that state agencies make regular reports on compliance, and that they make these reports available to the public.
Virginia's state government worked to fulfill the settlement agreements, but a decade later Axios reported a ten percent unemployment rate among differently-abled citizens, which excluded the eight in ten who were unemployed and not actively seeking a job. Those employed tended to be concentrated in low-wage jobs like clerical and janitorial services, and their income was significantly lower than others in the workforce.
Citation: Executive Order 55 (2012) Supporting Virginians with Disabilities in the Commonwealth's Workforce; Importance of Employment for Virginians with Disabilities, Executive Orders Digital Collection, Governor Robert F. McDonnell (2010-2014), Library of Virginia.
Read Senate Joint Resolution No. 127 in Virginia's Legislative Information System.
Standards
VS.I, VS.9, USII.1, USII.8, USII.9, VUS.1, VUS.13
Suggested Questions
Preview Activity
Scan It: Scan the document. List three or four items covered in the executive order.
Post Activities
Food for Thought: After reading the Executive Order, consider why it may have taken a federal lawsuit to initiate the changes you read about here. Consider what the new initiatives were doing, and what kind of effort it would take to coordinate the new programs and systems.
Current Connections: The language in the document reflects the time in which it was written. How might this order be worded today? Why is the wording important?
Political Plans: Imagine you are a lawmaker in Virginia who is reacting to the current state of unemployment and underemployment among differently-abled citizens. How would you try to change the situation? What would you do to make the implementation of the policies set forth in Senate Joint Resolution No. 127 and Executive Order 55 more effective?
Scan It: Scan the document. List three or four items covered in the executive order.
Post Activities
Food for Thought: After reading the Executive Order, consider why it may have taken a federal lawsuit to initiate the changes you read about here. Consider what the new initiatives were doing, and what kind of effort it would take to coordinate the new programs and systems.
Current Connections: The language in the document reflects the time in which it was written. How might this order be worded today? Why is the wording important?
Political Plans: Imagine you are a lawmaker in Virginia who is reacting to the current state of unemployment and underemployment among differently-abled citizens. How would you try to change the situation? What would you do to make the implementation of the policies set forth in Senate Joint Resolution No. 127 and Executive Order 55 more effective?